MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S.-Russian crew of three launched Thursday to the International Space Station.

A Soyuz booster rocket lifted off as scheduled from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan to put the Soyuz MS-28 carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian crewmates, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov in orbit.

They were scheduled to dock at the station about three hours after liftoff.

All three are expected to spend about eight months at the orbiting outpost. NASA said this is the first spaceflight for Williams, a phycisist, and Mikaev, a military pilot. For Kud-Sverchkov, this is the second flight.

At the International Space Station, the trio will join NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Alexei Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov.

Williams will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations at the orbiting outpost aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said.